This was the day which we had set aside long ago to get together with my on-line Vancouver friend, "Hugh" and his S.O., "Bridget" (not their actual names). Maybe these face-to-face meetings happen more often than I know, but the cynic in me wouldn't have believed that people could be so nice to a pair of relatively unknown, out-of-town visitors had I, myself, insisted on staying anonymous.
It's one thing for people to meet on-line, discover that they have interests or circumstances in common and then use these similarities to establish a face-to-face relationship. That is, after all, how Kathi and I met in the first place; just eight months prior to our trip. But Hugh and Bridget don't even watch Highlander. Nevertheless, I let them know why I was so fascinated with their city, and they, evidently, found me amusing enough to help me out as much as they could in the months before our trip. I was interested in Vancouver and they were interested in showing it to me. What good fortune!
[If anyone has noticed that this trip came about almost exclusively from on-line contacts made via CompuServe, they're right. :) And, no, no one paid me to say that. ;j]
Kathi and I needed to get up bright and early <yawn!> so we'd be ready by 9:30 am for Hugh and Bridget to pick us up. We started the day off, as usual, in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. What do we both order today? Mushroom and cheese omelet. Selecting identical items two days in a row didn't feel very usual. The Odds-Maker was still playing games with us.
Although we offered to drive in our yet-to-be-used rental car, it made sense for Hugh and Bridget to do the driving since they knew where to go. That way, Kathi and I would be free to just sit back and take in the scenery. After doing the obsessive-compulsive thing for a day, I was ready to switch off and go with the flow.
Hugh and Bridget said they would like to stop off in the mountains and get drinking water. Coming from fairly flat Michigan, we were eager to get up in the mountains. So we headed out through the city to the Lions Gate Bridge which crosses the Burrard Inlet into the area known as West Vancouver on the North Shore.
[Visitors to Vancouver should know that there are three areas with "West" names. The West End is the western portion of Downtown as you head out to Stanley Park. The West Side embraces all the western neighborhoods of Vancouver - *except* downtown - which are west of Main Street. West Vancouver (or West Van, as the locals call it) is the district west of North Vancouver. Together, these two districts cover all those mountains which you see rising to the north above the city.]
We drove right over the spot from RETURN OF AMANDA where Duncan and Amanda get shot by the crooked FBI agent. Not like we could see it from way up there; more like you can recognize the spot in Stanley Park right under the Lions Gate Bridge just by looking at the scene. On the other shore, just to the east of the bridge, is the sulfur plant used in BAND OF BROTHERS.
Hugh made a loop up into the British Properties to get a peek at this formerly exclusive neighborhood and then we went a bit out of our way eastward to park at a lookout point. Although we were blessed with yet another gorgeous day, the city below was covered with a light haze. It was essentially the view of the city which you see in MOUNTAIN MEN; a stunning sight when you can just stand there and take it all in.
From there we headed west on the Upper Levels Highway and drove just a few miles to a spot by the side of the road where Hugh and Bridget get their preferred drinking water. Although this might seem a bit odd, it was evident that this is what this spot was designed for. Rising above us was a sheer cliff, and hanging down its side was a black hose that gushed a continuous stream of clear water. Its end rested in a little stream over which a convenient platform was built so people could cross over to the hose to fill their water jugs. The trunk of Hugh's car was filled with empty jugs, but with Kathi, Bridget and Hugh all working as a team, the task was completed in no time.
Since it only took one person on the hose, one person holding a bottle, and one person to take the full bottle away, I walked up the adjacent mountain road a ways to see what I could see. I was slightly disappointed that the trees on my right didn't part enough to appreciate the view. But I found the natural source of the little stream - a flow of water down the side of the cliff. The hose was just a minor short-cut. I have no idea whose idea it was to set it up, but making it available to one and all was a nice thought.
Our next stop was Horseshoe Bay just around the bend of the mountains at the end of Upper Levels Highway. [This is just the beginning of the drive which Mario Azzopardi was making the same day all the way up to Whistler which he described as "the most beautiful drive in North America."] The scenery was simply breathtaking! The mountains towered over us to our right with the water down to our left filled with green, hilly islands. Oh, it was great being mere passengers, free from having to look at the road or the map and able to feast our eyes.
We spent a short time admiring the charming scenery at Horseshoe Bay: the marina, the mountains, the houses built on the side of hills, and the huge ferry loading cars and pedestrians bound for Victoria and Vancouver Island. From there, we headed south again, but this time we took Marine Drive which hugged the hills further down their slopes and twisted in and out of the mountains' bumpy contours.
We
made our way to Lighthouse Park, site of the lighthouse which is seen in
EYE FOR AN EYE. For a location which was used for a large part of
the episode (flashback of Duncan leaving in a rowboat, Duncan and Annie's
reunion, Richie and Annie's battle, and possibly even Richie's training
scene), it certainly wasn't easy to get to. After parking one's car, you
set out on a very hilly trail for over half a mile to reach a rocky point
overlooking the lighthouse - which is further off still. Even if there
is another path which leads to the foot of the lighthouse, there is no
way for the production's circus vehicles to have driven on it. They must
have been using something like Jeeps to shuttle people and equipment back
and forth all day long.
After getting a decent aerobic work-out to reach the lookout point, Hugh called back, as I approached, to report that I was probably going to be disappointed. The lighthouse looked as though it was undergoing renovation; it seemed to be wrapped up in plastic. Nevertheless, with the distinctive stairs, railings and just the whole layout of the lighthouse and surrounding area, the location was unmistakable. We paused long enough to take a few pictures and then got another work-out hiking back to the car. Both the exercise and the knowledge that I had "bagged" another location felt good.
It was now time to decide which restaurant we would go to for Chinese food. After all Hugh and Bridget had done for us, this was going to be our treat to them. We had planned the day knowing that we would go out for "Dim Sum," a Chinese brunch involving lots of little dishes which is served between 11 am and 2 pm. But would we go to a more upscale restaurant in Richmond or a more humble one in Chinatown? Chinatown won out, since that, after all, is one of the Things To Do When One is in Vancouver. :)
As we followed Marine Drive all the way back to the Lions Gate Bridge, Bridget, an award-winning singer, entertained us with songs sung both in her native French and English. She seemed a bit shy to perform in a car - despite Hugh urging her on - but Kathi and I couldn't get enough of her gorgeous voice.
A Sunday in Chinatown is bound to be crowded, and this
day was no exception. We took a number from the Park Lock Restaurant on
Main St. and set out for a walk around the block while we waited. As soon
as we hit the pavement, I found myself drawn by that irresistible urge
to seek out
locations.
Hugh saw me scanning the store signs and I explained that some signs could
be made out while watching the show. Kathi overheard and managed to find
just the place I was looking for: "WINGON" 1 hour photo from
ROAD NOT TAKEN (when Duncan is driving around looking for Kiem Sun).
(Aren't you just thrilled? ;j) I crossed through traffic on Keefer St.
to get a picture from the other side of the road. I doubt many people can
top *that* for their YKYHBWTMHW lists. <sheepish grin>
Our meal was quite an event. Dim sum dishes are served from a cart which waitresses push around the room. If you don't see something which appeals to you, you wait for the next cart to come around. Since each dish is small, you can eat as little or as much as you like, depending on how many dishes you choose. Typically, you want to taste a little of almost everything, so you wind up eating *alot*. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual and we spent a good two hours talking and eating, eating and talking, while Kathi also managed to master the new skill of using chopsticks. She was to be commended for her performance as a beginner. <BG>
As we headed back to Hugh's car, I noticed that we were right across from the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden and urged the rest of the group over to have a look. This is the place which was used in both ROAD NOT TAKEN and REVENGE OF THE SWORD. Scaffolding and plywood boards indicated that this place was also being spruced up, but if you've ever undertaken a major household project, you know that things get quite messy before they look good again. It was also very crowded and, on the whole, not very photogenic. I managed a couple of pictures of the gazebo and one of the circular entryway.
The last stop on our grand tour was Granville Island - actually
a peninsula - across False Creek from Downtown. Packed with shops, restaurants,
food markets, art studios, play grounds, areas for street performances
and even exotic house boats, one could spend all day here. Unfortunately,
after eating *two* big meals today - quite a change for a body in adrenaline
overdrive - I felt ready to hibernate. The more we walked and window shopped
(mostly so I could try to find a souvenir for my 8 year old daughter),
the more I dragged.
Finally, the time came when Hugh and Bridget had to get going to make a dinner engagement, so our tour drew to a close. As they drove us back to our hotel, we said our good-byes with the awareness that we didn't know when we'd ever see each other again. There would always be e-mail.
It was only 5 o'clock, but I felt I could fall asleep in no time. I kept myself awake by writing more notes.
At 6 o'clock, Kathi suggested that we go out and try to find a candy shop. We had already decided the day before that we wanted to buy a box of chocolates for the Highlander crew and office staff as a way of returning the kindness they had shown us during our visit on Friday, and now seemed a good time to do that errand. So with addresses and shoppers' brochures in hand, and a rental car which was feeling very neglected, we set out to take a cruise down glamorous Robson Street.
For a Sunday night, Robson Street was definitely a place to see and *be* seen. The high-priced cars were all polished, the Beautiful People were all dressed to the nines and the cellular phones were being flashed about like, well... like the way a pair of Immortals flash their swords.:)
Our first stop didn't produce a candy shop, but it *did* have a shop which sold tiny sword and lightning bolt earrings by the piece. We each bought two pairs. <sheepish grin>
Several blocks away, we finally hit pay dirt. I found a souvenir shop and grabbed a tiny, stuffed toy seal for my daughter. (She *adores* it and carries it everywhere, now.) Kathi found a bookstore and bought Phil Hersee's (Highlander's Still Photographer) book, "The Magic of Greater Vancouver." And we found a candy store where we bought four pounds of chocolates which we would deliver to the production company on Tuesday.
We munched a couple of ice cream cones back to the car and felt fully sated; our stomachs were full of great food, our minds were full of great memories, and our hearts were full of the kindness of great people.
*Next* week we'd worry about our full charge accounts. ;-j
For an excellent map of Vancouver, I highly recommend the one published by MapArt.
If anyone cares to add to my Vancouver location collection, I would love to hear from you. My list is totally lacking in such things as houses, marinas, and rural settings (not to mention warehouses and other industrial sites ;j). Please send e-mail to Janine Shahinian at ja9shahinian@comcast.net
Copyright (c) 1995, Janine Shahinian
Photographs (c) 1995, Janine Shahinian -- Do Not Reproduce!